BYU's Gallup outduels Ute from the arc

You can bet that Kari Gallup right now, at this moment, is scanning all NCAA eligibility rules and regulations, praying she finds a loophole. All she needs is just one little clause that would allow her one more year of college basketball.

Why? Because sticking it to the Utes is starting to get fun and almost habitual.Julie Krommenhoek, on the flip side, has turned her tail and is running away from college hoops as fast as she can.

Losing anything to BYU used to be a punchline for a bad joke; it just never happened. She started her career 10-0 against the Cougars.

Now, Krommenhoek doesn't feel at all like laughing.

For the third straight time, BYU's Gallup upset her biggest rival, Krommenhoek, when the two went head-to-head. Earlier this year, Gallup led BYU to a pair of upset victories over the Utes. On Thursday, Gallup outgunned Krommenhoek to claim the NCAA women's 3-point title.

"I wasn't even supposed to be here," said Gallup afterward. "They called me on Tuesday and said, `You're coming."'

She's glad they interrupted her spring break and called.

Both shooters swept through the first two rounds making for an All-WAC final. All of which about made Dick Vitale blow his lid (for about the fifth time that night).

The hype ended quickly however. Krommenhoek, like she's done the past two times against the Cougars, tightened up and, for lack of a better word, choked in the finals.

Her 12 points in the last round was her lowest total of the day, swinging the revolving door wide open for Gallup to walk away with the title.

Gallup didn't fare much better scoring 14, but it didn't matter. She lit the lamp a third straight time, pulling off the unprecedented hat trick against the Utes and, more importantly, against Krom-men-hoek.

Gallup's luck didn't last all night though. In the `Battle of the Sexes' portion of the contest, Virginia's Curtis Staples beat the Cougar star 15-13 to earn the honor of college basketball's greatest shooter.